Wheel structure



G. lA. I YoN WHEEL STRUCTURE Oct. 9, 1945.

Filed Dec. 31, 1943 TTL/'Em El G15-'026,5 bsfer ya/v.

Patented Oct. 9, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE `2,386,243 Y Vi WHEEL STRUCTURE GeorgeAlb'ert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J. Application December 31, 1943, serial 10.516,327

3 Claims. `(o1. 301-37) This invention is directed to an improved wheel structure and relates more particularly to an improved cover assembly therefor.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide an improved retaining arrange` ment for detachably securing a cover assembly over the cuter side of a wheel structure.`

It is another important object of the invention to provide an improved retaining arrangement for maintaining over the outer side of a Wheel structure, a cover assembly including a radially outer` annular part and a central circular hub cap simulating part, the latter being either integral or an 'independent portion of the cover assembly, the

radially outer annularpart being yformed from sheet synthetic plastic material whereby it is selfsustaining as to form and locally resiliently flexibleand whereby it immediately snaps back to its initial configuration upon release of distorting pressures therefrom, this radially outer annular cover portion extending from. the outermost flange of the tire rim radially inwardly on-the wheel and having a cross-sectional coniiguration substantially simulating a tire onthe wheel'tm' give the .appearance ofbeing a continuation thereof.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide for a plastic, circular cover assembly, retaining means which maintains the same detachably on the outer side of a wheel structure and additionally is s associated with 'the cover as to efficiently strengthen and reinforce the por-` tion of the plastic cover which it engages to retain the same upon the wheel. ,i It is still another object of the present invention'to provide' improved retainingy means for Amaintaining a cover assembly over the outer side of a Wheel structure, said retaining means including a part disposed'on the outer side of the cover and arranged to maintain the cover'against axial outward movement from the wheel and also'to constitute a continuation of the cover assembly to appear as an annular bead thereon, thereby to augment the ornamental effect thereof. K

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved retaining assembly adapted for snap-on, pry-off, detachable engagement with the Wheel structure, said retaining means being further provided with improved circular pry-off means available for removing the circular cover from the wheel structure at any point on the circumference thereof. V f

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved cover assembly for disposition over the louter side of a wheel structure, said cover assembly including Vcircular cover means formed from a resiliently comp-ressible material which is locally, temporarily, exible, yet

; self-sustaining as to form so that it immediately snaps vback to initial conguration wheni distorting pressures are relieved therefrom, and im'- proved retaining meanspreferably formed from a more rigid material such as sheet metal or the like, said retaining means and said cover being connected together in a novel manner, whereby the resiliently compressible material ofthe c over is disposed so as 'to actas `a cushion against all adjacent metallicv parts, thus toV reduce greatly, the development of vibration and rattlev in the re"- sulting assembly.

,In accordance with the general features of the present inventiony there is provided herein for disposition over the outer side of a ywheel strucjture including a drop Ycenter type flanged tire rim axially outerr'partincluding a radially outwardly 'extending bead and a radially inwardly extending ange, said bead serving as a pry-off anchor and jsaid Aflange vhaving aperturesr therein through which the shanks of bolts having enlarged heads disposed axially outwardly, may extend, said'bolts being provided at the axially inner side of the flange with nuts, there also being provided in ,the cover assembly an intermediate circular groove portion aligned concentrically with the bolts' in said flange, the heads of the bolts extending through the cover and being adapted to receive an annular bead member having an axially outwardly convex intermediate portion and bent back edge flanges spaced apart at their edgesa distance substantially equal to the Shanks of the bolts and having circumferentially spaced notches therein for providing, bolt holes, whereby thelbolt heads may be entered through the opposed notches andthe bead rotated relative to the bolts land the cover, `whereupon the nuts' von the'bolts may be tightened from the rear side of the flange ure 2. A Y

While various forms of wheel structures may be utilized with the cover assembly of myinvention, the wheel shown herein includes a tire rim II'I of the drop center flanged type having' acen-vv tral base flange Il to which vmay be 4secured .a central load .bearing portion I2 by means of `a peripheral, axially inwardly extending skirt or flange 12a thereof which may be secured to Vthe bolt-.on flange by welding or riveting .or the like. The central load bearing portion is further provided with a radially inwardly .extending bolton flange t3 arranged -to retainingly receive wheel 'bolts whereby .the wheel may be secured .to an appropriate part of the vehicle suchas the brake -.d-r.um-or the like.

.The -tire rim .I- is 4further provided with oprposite :side wall `flanges I4, opposite intermediate flanges I yand opposite edge portions I6 between .which may `beldisposed ra ltire I'I having an inner tube I8 and a tire valve stem I9 `that is aligned with and extends through an appropriate aperture vin the respective side wall flange I4. If vde sind, the axially outer side wall flange I4 and the base flange AII may be -provided, .at their junction, n

with a plurality of .radially -outwardly extending protuberances which serve to provide .companionindentations on the radially inner side of the rim whereby, when the inner tube I8 is inhated it will be forced -into Athese indentations, thereby to prevent relative slippage between the tire and Aparticularly the inner ytube I8 thereof, Aand the wheel.

While many forms of retaining means on the wheel structure may be .adapted for Acooperation with the present invention, as will .be seen presently, the protuberances 20 herein serve admirably Aas retaining means on the wheel for detach- .ably receiving appropriate parts of the cover assembly so that the same may be maintainedover fthe outer side of the wheel structure.

The cover assembly shown herein may be annular or in the form of 'a -disk as in the present instance. As will be seen best from Figure 2, the cover, which is formed from sheet synthetic plastic material, thereby to have the characteristics set forth above, includes a radially outer annular portion 2IY and a central crowned, hub cap Ysimulating portion 22. The portion 2`I is preferably provided with a cross-sectional shape whereby it .conforms generally to the configuration -of the side wall of the tire II, thereby appearing as 1a continuation thereof and giving the appearance of being a part thereof and particularly appearing as a white side wall of a massive tire mounted on a wheel .of minimum dimensions, whencolored white.

Furthermore, the cover portion 2l is provided with a cross-sectional expanse whereby it extends radially outwardly -beyond the edge portion I6 of the cover parts. Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged, cross@ sectional view taken on the line III-IIIof 'Ii'ig-A of the tire rim as by the radially outwardly extending ange 23 and then radially inwardly to a point preferably inwardly of the junction between the tire rim I0 and the central load bearing portion I27 thereby to have a relatively great expanse to augment the ornamental appearance thereof on the Iwheel. The junction between the cover parts 2| and 22, as shown in Figure 2, comprises a generally radially extending circular, integralange part 24, this flange constituting .the 'base :of an axially V.outwardly 'facing intermediate circular groove disposed at the junction The flange 24 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolt holes 25' for purposes to be described presently.

An annular retaining member 26 formed from rela-tively rigid material such as sheet steel or the A,line isprovidedwith a radially inwardly disposed flange 2'I at'the axially outer part thereof, this `flange merging into a radially outwardly .extending bead 28 which in `turn merges into an axially inwardly extending ange29. l The nange 29 terminates ina ,generally axially inwardly, radially outwardly, ohliquely disposed flange 3B which is bordered by asnap-on bead 3l.

From Figure 2 it will be seen .that the bead 3I prescribes a circle having a slightlylarger diameter than that -prescribed by -theradially inner peaks ,of the .protuberances 20 of the Ytire rim I0 and thus, when .the retaining annulus 2B is forced axially inwardly on `the wheel in .concentric alignment therewith, the bead .3.I is forced slightly out of round to permitv the adjacent ,pore tions .thereof to pass the peaks .of the protuberances 20. Thereafter the bead 3I again assumes its circular configuration to rest tightly between the adjacent portion of the outer surface of the central loadbearing portion I2 and the rear yor axially inner 'sides of the respective protuberances.

To the end that the retaining member 26'and the cover portionsl'I and 22 rna`y be .secured together as an integral unit to be attached to and removed from the wheel as such, the .flange 2 1 of the retaining member is provided Ywith a plurality of circumferentially spaced Ibolt apertures arranged to be aligned with those inthe intermediate flange 24 of the cover. The bolts which extend through these aligned apertures include a shank portion' 32 and axially outwardly extending head portions 33, the heads 33 being of greater size than the respective apertures whereby, When the bolts 'are passed through the aligned apertures in the flange '27 and flange 24 respectively, with the head axially outwardly, theyl will be retarded from axial inward movement beyond the position 'shown in Figure 2. The bolt assembly is completed .by the provision of nuts 34 which are threaded to the axially inwardly vextending portion-of'the respective bolts.

- Thus it will beseen that before the assembly lis mounted onthe wheel structure, the apertures of the cover may `be aligned with'v those .of the retaining member 26, whereupon the bolts'may be passed through the aligned apertures `frorn the outside and the nuts 24 screwed loosely onto fthe Shanks .of the bolts. The bnr; heads may then ly outer convex portion 36 bordered radially inwardly and outwardly by bent back flanges 31 and 38, the edges of the flanges 31 and 38, as best shown in Figure 3, being spaced apart from one another approximately a distance equal to the diameter of the Shanks 32 of the bolts. To the end that the annulus v-35 may be placed tightly against the outer surface of the flange 24 of the cover and thus the heads 33 of the bolts disposed axially outwardly of the flanges 31 and 38 thereof, these flanges are provided, at points aligned with the bolt apertures in-the other parts of the cover assembly, with opposed notches 39 and 40 which afford apertures through which the Abolt heads 33 may extend as shown in Figure 3.

Thereafter the ornamental, rigidifying annular bead 35 may be rotated slightly whereupon the nuts 34 may be tightened to retain the entire cover assembly as a unit in the relationship shown in Figure 2.

Thereafter the operator need merely align the unitary cover assembly shown concentrically with the wheel structure and urge the same axially inwardly to obtain the detachable relationship between the bead 3| and protuberances 20 previously described.

With the above assembly it will be seen that since the cover is constructed from relatively resiliently compressible material such as sheet plastic or the like, the association of the metallic parts as a result of the tightening of the nuts 34 will be cushioned against the development of rattle and vibration due to fatigue or settling of the cushion and structure of the metal.

If desired, the central' portion of the crowned part 22 of the cover may be depressed circularly as shown at 4l, whereupon a medallion 42 having fingers 43 may be extended through apertures in the depressed portion 4I and bent to provide an attached relationship between the medallion and the cover. This medallion further augments the ornamental yappearance of the cover and efciently serves as an additional rigidifying or protecting means for the most vulnerable part of the cover, that is the portion which extends axially outwardly thegreatest distance.

With the foregoing structure it will be seen that there is provided herein an improved retaining assembly which may be utilized `on a single piece cover as shown herein, or may be utilized to anchor separate, radially outer and central cover members together on a retaining member so that a unitary structure is formed which may be handled as a unit and, as such may be secured to or detached from the wheel structure.

Another attribute of the foregoing construction is the provision of a cover assembly in which there is provided a minor part of metal and is made up largely from lighter, synthetic plastic material, whereby the unsprung weight of the Wheel is greatly reduced. Another advantage of the foregoing construction and particularly in the provision of a plastic cover is that the cover itself is of the same color or hue throughout and thus there is no surface ornamentation which is removed by scratches or the like, thus resulting in a marring of the cover and in the development of rust spots.

Furthermore, it will be noted that with the construction described above, the cover may be easily removed by flexing the iiange 23 outwardly to permit insertion of a pryoff tool behind the cover portion 2i, whereupon the point of the tool may be placed against the inner side of the radially outwardly extending bead 28. The operator may then raise the outer part of the pry-off tool with the edge portion I6 as the fulcrum, whereupon the entire cover assembly will be drawn axially outwardly of the wheel structure so that the bead 3l is released from the adjacent protuberances 20. Thus the cover which is relatively frangible may be removed without subjecting portions thereof to extreme stress and strain and furthermore, during the assembled relationship of the cover with the wheel it will be seen that the intermediate part thereof, namely the flange 24 is solidly backed up by the flange 21 of the retaining members since they are maintained in surface abutment.

What I claim is:

1. In a wheel structure including a wheel having flanged tire rim and body parts, a Wheel cover comprising a one-piece disc of resiliently yieldable form sustaining plastic and including a curved radially outer portion for substantially concealing outer flanges of the rim part and a central radially inner portion connected to the outer portion over said body part by a grooved intermediate annular section, an annular bead in' said grooved section, cover retaining means on the rear side of said section for detachably engaging at least one of said wheel parts and means for securing said bead and retaining means to said intermediate section.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by said retaining means including a peak portion accessible from the rear of said outer portion by the flexing of Said outer portion axially away from said wheel and whereby a cover pryoff tool may be applied to said peaked portion.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by the securing means tightly clamping said bead against said yieldable plastic disc to rigidify said outer portion at the junction of said outer and inner cover portions.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

